Successful protection, control and substation automation projects will require identifying and implementing the most appropriate technical and financial solution for your new substations or for upgrading your existing substation. IEC 61850 - substation automation communication Over the last few years, a new standard for substation automation communication has been developed within the IEC. The IEC 61850 is more than just a new standard for communication within substations. It also introduces data models for all major substation components and defines services to allow for mapping on mainstream communication stacks. Manufacturers have released the first commercial products with IEC 61850 implementations in 2004.
KEMA has played an active role in the various working groups of the IEC TC57 that have defined the standard. This new standard is designed to fulfill the following requirements:
Interoperability Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs) of various manufacturers are able to exchange and use the information for their own functions
Future proof The basis for the standard are the data models that relate to the basic functionality of the substation, which changes less rapidly than communication or automation technology. IEC 61850 is able to follow new developments in data communication by easily mapping the data models on new communication stacks
Flexible design
The new standard grants users the flexibility to freely allocate the various functionalities to the devices that form the substation automation system. Both centralized and decentralized solutions are supported.
Integrated system When a complete set of IEC 61850 products is available, the new standard will result in an integrated system of all the substation equipment. This integrated system would include instrument transformers, protective relays, control systems but also HV-switchgear that is controlled and supervised using the IEC 61850 process and station bus. Measurements from the instrument transformers as well as trip commands from the protection relays will utilize the communication network. Because of this integration, specification, implementation, testing and maintenance of an IEC 61850 based system can no longer be handled by communication specialists only. It will require coordination between the various disciplines and knowledge areas:
communication technology
protocol testing
protections and protection systems
protection relays functional testing
instrument transformers and their specifics
substation control and automation
HV-switchgear
HV-switchgear testing
SCADA, EMS and distribution automation
Well-founded advice KEMA has thorough knowledge and experience in the design and specification of a substation based on IEC 61850. We offer all technical consultancy, project execution support and test services for projects dealing with this standard, including:
feasibility studies
conceptual and preliminary design
specification of equipment
type testing of protective devices
conformance and interoperability testing
project execution support
quality assurance
Examples of our projects:
consulting services and engineering for capacitor banks and reactor banks in the 400 kV grid
consulting services for the design and construction of an entire 66 kV network
review of a protection system for a diesel power plant and a 132 kV-transmission system
review of a protection system 33 kV-switchboard Nigerian LNG-plant Bonny Island
consulting services for synoptic control panel and integrated protection and control systems
Successful protection, control and substation automation projects will require identifying and implementing the most appropriate technical and financial solution for your new substations or for upgrading your existing substation. 
